Perplexed by the lack of automation for vertical machining centers, Steve Simons, president of Simons Design Innovation, decided to do something about it.

Involved in the manufacturing industry since the 1970s, including starting the RockShox bicycle suspension company, Simons began mulling how to achieve VMC automation about a decade ago. His Mountain View, Calif., company then built a working prototype in 2010 and launched Smart Valet Model SV-1 in May at an event held at K-Fab Inc., a parts manufacturer in Santa Clara, Calif.

The automation system integrates with virtually all VMCs and takes about 3 hours to install, according to Simons. He explained that an operator begins the machining process by placing workpieces on a conveyor belt, which delivers them to the machine. A programmable logic controller opens and closes a machine’s vice, and an actuator feeds stock into the vice. After a part is machined, it’s moved to an unload station where the actuator pulls the part from the vice and onto an ejection tray. The cycle then repeats.

“The ejection tray acts both like a conveyor to bring the part out of the machine and a drain to remove oil or water and return it back to the machine,” Simons said.

The standard model has a 3½" conveyor belt, which Simons noted holds enough parts for 2 to 8 hours, depending on the cycle time. Accessories are available to extend the queue, such as a side loader to stock more workpiece material beside the belt. “When material from the belt is exhausted, we push another row on,” Simons said. “It’s a more compact way to store material.”

Users can also add sensors to determine whether material is present for a machine to process and if material is correctly fed into the machine. In addition, detection systems can be integrated to check for worn or broken cutting tools, chip buildup in the machine and if there’s an adequate coolant supply.

Although there is no workpiece weight limitation, the workpieces must fit into an 8" cube. “The smallest we’re capable of handling is slightly under an inch,” Simons said.

He noted switching the system from one part to the next takes less than 5 minutes.

The standard Smart Valet costs $29,000, with payback typically within 12 to 24 weeks, and will increase a shop’s productivity at least 14 percent, according to Simons. “That a very modest claim.”

An early adopter since March, K-Fab realized at least 20 percent more output with a Smart Valet, which Simons Design integrated with K-Fab’s Haas DT-1 VMC and also provided the required workholding and sheet metal, according to Mike Kedell, company president and CEO. He noted an employee initially informed him about the automation system after seeing a video on YouTube.

K-Fab also investigated a part-loading robot to reduce labor by having the machine run unattended while increasing spindle utilization, but decided it was too complex to program, not as flexible and cost-prohibitive, Kedell said. “So long as there is material on the Smart Valet conveyor, we are running at 100 percent spindle utilization.”

K-Fab realized a return on investment in 17 weeks, Kedell noted, but the company isn’t the only one pleased with the system’s success. “This has allowed us to pass cost reductions to our customers,” he said.

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